Ohio Woman Charged With Murder For Leaving Toddler Home Alone For A Week: Police
An Ohio woman has been charged with murder after allegedly leaving her toddler alone for more than a week at their Cleveland home.
According to NBC News, Kristel Candelario, 31, allegedly left her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn, at home unattended while she went on vacation to Puerto Rico and Detroit for several days. She arrived home last Friday and reportedly found Jailyn unresponsive and “extremely dehydrated,” per an affidavit.
Police came to the house, according to the incident report, and medics pronounced the child dead at the scene. Investigators determined that Jailyn had been at the house alone for about 10 days, ABC News reported.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting a full examination and investigation to determine the girl’s cause of death. According to the incident report, police found no signs of physical trauma.
Candelario was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. She appeared at the Cleveland Municipal Court on Tuesday, according to court documents. She is being held at Cuyahoga County Jail, and is set to have a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Homicides and accidents are among the leading causes of death in children under the age of 10 in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most states, including Ohio, don’t have laws establishing a minimum age at which a child can be left at home unsupervised.
